Question 1

Discuss the six major components of a computer (25)

Motherboard

The motherboard may be a crucial computer component because it's what everything else
connects to! The motherboard is also a decently sized circuit board that lets other components
communicate. A motherboard has ports that face outside a PC's case, so you'll charge your
computer, connect a monitor, or connect a mouse.

A computer's motherboard also contains slots for expansions, so you'll add additional
accessory ports if you do like. The motherboard also stores low-level information a bit like
the system time even when the pc is turned off.

Power Supply

True to its name, the power supply powers all other components of the machine. It always
plugs into the motherboard to power the alternative parts. The ability supply connects to
either an enclosed battery (on a laptop) or a plug for an outlet (on a desktop).

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

A CPU, sometimes mentioned as a computer's brain, is that the workhorse of the machine. It
performs the calculations needed by a system, and will vary in speed. The work that a CPU
does generates heat, which is why your computer features an admirer inside. A more
powerful CPU is very important for intense computer work like editing high-definition video
or programming complex software.

Random-access Memory (RAM)

RAM is temporary memory. Whenever you open up a Microsoft Word window, your
computer places it in RAM, and once you close up the window, that RAM is freed. Since
RAM is volatile, its contents are lost if the machine loses power. This is often why you lose a
Word document when the power goes out if you didn't reserve it.

The more RAM you have, the more programs you will run directly. A regular explanation for
slow computers could also be a scarcity of sufficient RAM
Hard Disk Drive / Solid State Drive

Since RAM is temporary, your computer needs a locality to store data permanently. That's
where the Winchester drive comes in. the traditional disc drive consists of several spinning
platters with an arm that physically writes data to the disk. However, these drives are slow
and are commencing to get replaced by the faster solid-state drives.

Solid-state drives contain memory, like your Smartphone or flash drive. They are much faster
than traditional disc drives, though cost more for the increased efficiency. Both varieties of
drives are available various sizes to suit different needs.

Replacing a troublesome drive with a solid state drive is one in every of the only computer
upgrades you'll make — the speed difference is amazing.

Video Card

A video card is also a fanatical unit for handling the output of images to a display. Video
cards have their own dedicated RAM for performing these functions. A high-end video card
is required to process extremely intense visual functions, like computer drafting by engineers.
Like many components, many varieties of video cards are available with varying power and
costs.

An alternative to a video card is integrated graphics, which occurs when the system borrows
regular RAM for graphics processing. Typically integrated graphics are attached to the CPU,
especially on laptops. Integrated graphics is sufficient for normal computing use and could be
a smaller amount expensive than a zealous card, but won't work for intense editing jobs or
high-end games.
REFERENCES

White, Ron (2008) How Computers Work, 9th Edition, Que Publishing, Indianapolis.

Tennis, Caleb (2009) A Peek At Computer Electronics, The Pragmatic Programmers LLC.

How Stuff Works (2014) A useful site for various computer articles, images and video.

Mueller, Scott (2013) Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 21th Edition, Que Publishing,
Indianapolis